Improvement in apparatus for manufacture of gas from oils



J. BARRY. Improvement in Apparatus for Manufacture of Gas from Oils. No.126,510, Patented May 7,1872.

i /9. K g"? W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW J. BARRY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

' iMPROVEMENT lN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF GAS FROM OILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,510, dated May 7,1872.

SPECIFICATION. I, MATTHEW J BARRY, of Washington, in

g the District of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in theManufacture of Gas from Oils, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the manufacture of gas from oils; and consistsin discharging the oil directly upon the bottom of a retort, and thenpassing the gases through a mass of heated coke or its equivalent. Theinvention further consists of improvements, fully described hereafter,in the construction of the retort and furnace, whereby the rapid burningof the retort is prevented, and the cleansing of the same and removal ofthe contents are facilitated.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation ofapparatus for carrying out my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section.

A is a retort, which may be of cast-iron or other suitable material, andis supported by the walls of the furnace, within which, above thefire-place B, is a chamber, 0. The top of the chamber 0 is arched tocorrespond to the curved top of the retort, leaving a space of somethree inches in width between the two; and in the walls of the furnace,adjacent to the ends of the chamber 0, are two vertical flues, a a, bothcommunicating with a horizontal flue, a, and, through the latter, with apipe, 1), leading to a chimney. In the flue a, near the opposite ends,are two dampers, c c, the handles for regulating which are above the topof the furnace. The front end of the retort projects through and beyondthe front wall of the furnace, and is provided with the usual detachablelid, in which is an opening, at, closed by a screw-stopper, y; and fromthe projecting part of the retort a tube, d, leads to the gas-main.Within the retort is arranged a grating, D, which, in the presentinstance, is arched, and which extends about one-third the length of theretort, and consists of two detachable sections connected at their inneredges. A tube, 0, extends from the rear end of the retort to a bellowsor other suitable blowing apparatus; and a tube, 13, which extendsthrough the top of the retort to the rear of the grating D, communicateswith an oilreservoir.

In the manufacture of gas from oil in the ordinary retorts it hasheretofore been customary to place coke (or other suitable material) onthe bottom of the retort and to discharge the oil directly upon thecoke, which in a short time becomes clogged with carbonaceous matter, isthereby rendered unfit for use, and is soon so firmly cemented to thebottom of the retort that it could only be removed with difficulty afterremoving the cap from the retort. In ordinary gas apparatus, also, theheated gases from the furnace are all directed upon some one part of theretort, which speedily burns away, rendering the whole useless, andinvolving the necessity of frequent renewals at considerable expense.

In the apparatus above described the coke or other material is supportedabove the bottom of the retort by the grating D, but be comessufficiently heated to afford an extend- .ed heating-surface for thevapors arising from the oil, which is discharged directly upon thebottom of the retort, while the latter may be maintained perfectly cleanby means of scrapers introduced through the opening as; this operationbeing performed without cooling the retort or materially interferingwith the production of gas. Inasmuch as the oil is not dischargeddirectly upon the coke, the latter will not readily become clogged, andmay be used for a long time. It may, however, be cleansed from condensedcarbon by agitating the grating, and may be removed, when necessary, bydrawing the grating from the retort.

Owing to the manner in which the retort is arranged in the chamber 0,and to the arrangement of the flues a a a, the heated gases from thefire-place, when the valves 0 c are arranged as shown, will completelyenvelop the retort, so that no portion will be heated unequally; but byclosing one or other of the valves the heat may be directed to any partdesired.

Without confining myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described, I claim- 1. The manufacture ofilluminating-gas from oil, by discharging the latter upon the bottom ofan external case or retort which is exposed to theheated gases, and thenpassing it through 4. The opening an and detachable stopper y in the lidof the retort, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW J. BARRY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. Nonms, W. R. Nnmo.

